Container lid



May 11, 1937. H. ROESINGER CONTAINER LID Filed Dec. 8, 1936 7' ATTORNEYS Patented May 11, 1937 UNITE n STAZIIES- PAETELNT oFFiieE;

CONTAINER LID I Herbert Roesinger, Glevelandiohio" Application December 8, 1936; Serial No. 114 783 This invention relates broadly. to containers,

and more; specifically toimprovementsin mechanism-for raisi-ng and lowering: the cover thereon.

Onc -of: thewobjectseofz the a invention is to pro- 5-- vide a cover actuating,mechanism adapted, by

the exercise of manual effort, to effect the closure of .the container; and. adapted to effect theremoval.ofthe-coverthroughthe energy of a-spring wound .while the: cover is being actuated: to its 10" closed :adjustment.

Another?v objectofv the invention is-to: provide a container,v cover; actuating mechanism: con-- structed Ito tightlyr seal and; rigidly; support the container when the cover engagedtherewith;

Another. object of the invention isn't/0 provide a at supporting; structure and 2 closure mechanism fora container which @will'kmaintain :the. cover. in. place in then event thefcontainer is accidentally overturnedv 01*:1111581'; bywprowlingg animals-.-

Another: jobiecm of .:.thes-invention 'l'lszto :construct amv actuatingi mechanism-a which wi1l elevatevthe cover from thercontainerr upon: releaseiofiaelight actingitrigger requiring-.ttheeuserpf zbutroneehand M ofthesoperatom v l 25* Anothertobiecttofl the invention-.iswthe proe visionof;- ascranktarmlfor actuatingstheccover; when 4 the operating; mechanism therefor= is: ad-w justed. aintits;elevatedipositionaande extended ibe v, .yond'reach of an individualorflchildvwishingto 30' operate the cover closing device.

Otherpbjects and' advantages more or less ancillary of the foregoing and the manner in which all the various objects are realized will appear in the following description which, considered in 35 connection with the accompanying drawing, sets forth the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a container disposed within the improved supporting frame, and. including the cover and operating mechanism therefor; portions of the frame and cover being broken away and shown in section in the interest of clarity;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, a portion of the frame being broken away and a portion of the cover being shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a detail plan view partially in section 50 of the cover actuating mechanism, the drawing being shown upon an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View of the cover actuating device illustrating a modification of the elevating mechanism shown in Fig. 2.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and. 2, the container Ill, which by; way of I exampletmay-be a refuse pail, is. positionedrwithin ahousing: H which comprises a.cy1indrical:body-or: frame formed withanropening l2 in therforwardface thereof. Upon the top. of-thehousing'l I *there is a bearing 5 bracket or bushing I 3-:h'av'inga rectangular-'open ing therein for guidinga plunger rack I41 The lower portion'of the rack isformed: with a spherical head: I5-having, acup. l6 engaged therewith to effect universal movement or a swivel con- 10 nection of? the cover withinzzthe. rack. The cup It is mounted-uponthescontainenlid llwhich is preferably,- constructedlfrom relatively light sheet metalpressed asshown withiarlaterally extended: flange; Upon the lower face of the cover flange there is a yieldablepacking material:

or gasket IB' arranged to engage thecperipheral.

edge of thecon'taineralll;

Adjacent the bushing l3 thereisa'.:bracket I9 having lugs thereon apertured to receive a 20 shaft 2| keyed-t thereinl upon 1 which. there is mounted a-pinion: 22-: (lircumambientthe'ishaftc 2 l thereisraihelical zspringlu;.oneiend of which isanchored'auponr a studr23ssecurediin the face of the pinion,v whiIe the: otherlen'di of the spring- 5 is secured iin a. groovei formed in" the shaft 215 Upon'th'evuppen faceiof :thebracket 1 9 there is a springepressed i plunger? 25:. the lower face 25" thereof 1' beingbeveled at an acute angle to permit tl'ie rotati0rr1of thegear fl whemthe rackl 4 is actuated irrsthezdirection whiclf effects the re mova'15of1 the covers The upperzface of the plunger 25 is machined parallel to the face of the pinion teeth, the structure constituting a ratchet to prevent rotation of the gear when the rack I4 is actuated toeffect the engagement of the cover with the container. The top of the rack I4 is formed with a head or button 21 to accommodate manipulation of the rack into engagement with the top of the container. 40

As shown in the modified form illustrated in Fig. 4, the shaft 2| is journalled in one of the lugs 20, the outer end thereof being extended for the reception of a crank arm 28 loosely journalled thereon and retained from longitudinal separation from the shaft by a screw 29. The hub of the crank arm 28 is formed with a diametric slot constituting jaws 30 adapted for engagement with a pin 3| pressed into a cross drilled opening in the shaft 2|. Within the bore of the hub of the crank arm 28 and intermediate the end of the shaft 2|, there is a compression spring 32 adapted to retract the jaws 30 from engagement with the pin iii. The inner end of the shaft 2| is formed with a pilot bearing journalled in the bored end of a stub arbor Ma. The pinion 22 in this structure is keyed upon the shaft 2i and the stub arbor 2 la is affixed within its supporting lug 20. When it is desired to use the crank arm, pressure is exerted against the arm to overcome the spring and effect engagement of the jaws 3! with the pin 3|, whereupon the shaft may be rotated and the rack I4 lowered to the lid-closing position. The provision of the crank arm facilitates the operation of the closing mechanism by a child who may not be tall enough to reach the end of the plunger when the cover is in its elevated position.

In operation, the container cover is lowered upon the receptacle by pressing or cranking the plunger or rack I4 downwardly until the gasket I 8 engages the top of the container I0, whereupon the pinion is locked from reverse rotation by the ratchet plunger 25. During this operation the rack M will effect rotation of the pinion 22 and thus tightly winds the spring 24 about the shaft 2 I. When it is desired to remove the cover, the knob 33 of the ratchet or spring-pressed plunger 25 may be moved rearwardly to disen gage the teeth of the pinion- 22, thus releasing the helical spring 24 which then effects the rotation of the pinion in the opposite direction and thereby elevates the rack and removes the cover [1.

Although the foregoing description is necessarily of a detailed character, in order that the invention may be completely set forth, it is to be understood that the specific terminology is not intended to be restrictive or confining, and that various rearrangements of parts and modifications of detail may be resorted to without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as herein claimed.

I claim: I

1. In combination with a container, a cover actuating mechanism therefor comprising a supporting frame having an opening in the side wall thereof for the admission of a container, a reciprocative rack supported by said frame, a container cover mounted on said rack and adapted for engagement with the upper edge of said container, a pinion engaged with said rack, a helical spring mounted on said pinion and adapted to be wound upon rotation of said pinion and a ratchet engaged with said pinion for retaining said rack in cover-closing position upon said container.

2. In combination with a. container, a cover actuating mechanism therefor comprising a supporting structure for the reception of said container, a reciprocative rack mounted thereon, a cover mounted on said rack and engageable with said container, a pinion engaged with said rack, a spring co-ordinated with said pinion and adapted to be wound upon rotation of said pinion and a spring-pressed plunger engageable with said pinion for restraining rotation of said pinion when said spring is wound.

3. In combination with a container, a cover actuating mechanism therefor comprising a frame having an opening in the side wall thereof for the reception of said, container, a reciprocative rack mounted on said frame, a cover swivelably mounted on said rack, a yieldable packing material mounted on said cover and engageable with said container, a pinion intergeared with said rack, a helical spring having one end thereof connected to said pinion and the other end anchored against rotation, and a ratchet coordinated with said pinion for restraining the rotative movement of said pinion in one direction.

4. A cover actuating mechanism fora container comprising a cover arranged for abutting engagement with the top of a container, a plunger for raising and lowering said cover, a rotative membr driven by said plunger, a coiled spring adapted to be wound by the rotative member upon depression of said plunger, and a ratchet engaged with said rotative member and arranged to restrain upward movement of said plunger when said spring is Wound;

5. In combination with a container, a cover actuating mechanism therefor comprising a frame having an opening in the side wall thereof for the reception of said container, a reciprocative rack mounted on said frame, a cover swivelably mounted on said rack, a yieldable packing material mounted on said cover and engageable with said container, a pinion intergeared with said rack, a helical spring having one end thereof connected to said pinion and the other end anchored against rotation, a ratchet co-ordinated with said pinion for restraining the rotative movement of said pinion in one direction and a crank arm detachably engageable with said pinion for lowering said rack.

HERBERT ROESINGER. 

